You can write a flawless letter body with perfect organization and still tank your score before the first real sentence even begins. One wrong word in your greeting? That's enough to lose points.
Your salutation—that opening line like "Dear Sir or Madam"—gets scrutinized. Examiners are watching. It counts toward your Coherence & Cohesion score because it sets the tone for how formal (or informal) your letter is. Get it wrong and you're signaling that you don't understand how English business correspondence actually works. That's a band score killer, especially if you're chasing Band 7 or higher.
This guide shows you exactly what IELTS examiners expect in a letter salutation, which mistakes cost you points, and how to use an IELTS writing checker or manual review to catch errors before test day.
Your salutation is the greeting line that opens your letter. It comes after the recipient's address (if you include one) and before your first paragraph. It's usually three to six words, and it ends with a comma.
IELTS band descriptors for Writing Task 1 emphasize Coherence & Cohesion. That means your letter needs to flow naturally and follow actual English conventions. A wrong salutation breaks that immediately. If an examiner sees "Hello there!" or "Hi boss" in a formal complaint letter, they're already deducting marks before reading a single body paragraph.
Think of the salutation as your handshake. A firm, appropriate handshake opens doors. A weak or awkward one? It signals you're unprepared or don't respect the formality of the situation. IELTS examiners expect you to know the difference.
Rule 1: Match the formality level to your recipient. Rule 2: Use the correct punctuation. Rule 3: Never invent casual alternatives.
These three rules cover about 95% of what you need to nail the formal letter greeting rules IELTS examiners assess.
IELTS Task 1 letters split into two categories. Formal letters go to strangers: managers, government officials, company CEOs, hospital administrators, university registrars. Semi-formal letters go to people you know slightly or have been introduced to by name: your landlord, a friend's employer, a course instructor.
Use these for formal letters (unknown recipient):
Use these for semi-formal letters (named recipient):
The golden rule: use only the last name. Never use first names in Task 1 formal or semi-formal letters. And don't skip the title either—"Dear Brown," isn't a salutation, it's just rude.
Good: Dear Mr. Harrison, (you know the recipient's last name)
Weak: Dear Harrison, (missing the title)
Weak: Dear Steve, (too casual—uses first name)
British English (which IELTS follows) requires a comma after your salutation. Not a period. Not an exclamation mark. A comma. Period.
This isn't optional. If you write "Dear Sir or Madam." with a period, you've made a grammatical error. Examiners mark this under Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Punctuation mistakes in formal writing get noticed.
Good: Dear Ms. Park,
I am writing to inquire about...
Weak: Dear Ms. Park.
I am writing to inquire about...
Weak: Dear Ms. Park!
I am writing to inquire about...
Some students get creative and use "Hey there," "Hello everyone," or just "Hi". Stop. These don't exist in professional English correspondence. IELTS isn't testing your creativity with greetings. It's testing whether you know the actual conventions. Stick to the approved options above.
These mistakes happen constantly. The good news? They're 100% preventable.
The prompt says: "Write to Dr. Elizabeth Walsh about your concerns." Your salutation should be "Dear Dr. Walsh,"—not "Dear Elizabeth," and definitely not just "Dear Walsh,"
Weak: Dear Elizabeth, (too casual for formal correspondence)
Good: Dear Dr. Walsh,
Why does this hurt your score? It shows you don't understand register—the level of formality that matches the context. The band descriptors specifically mention register under Lexical Resource. Using a first name in a formal letter signals you're missing this concept.
When you don't know the recipient's marital status, default to "Ms." It's the safer, more modern choice. "Mrs." assumes marriage. "Miss" sounds outdated in modern business writing. "Mr." works for all men regardless of marital status, so it doesn't have the same ambiguity.
Simple rule: when in doubt, use Ms. for women and Mr. for men. Use their professional title (Dr., Professor) if the prompt mentions it.
Basic punctuation error, but it adds up. In a 150-word letter, four punctuation mistakes stack up fast. Examiners will dock your Grammatical Range & Accuracy band.
Weak: Dear Mr. Singh. I am writing...
Good: Dear Mr. Singh, I am writing...
It's not technically wrong, but it's outdated and stiff. In modern business English, "Dear Sir or Madam," is preferred. Using "To Whom It May Concern" makes it sound like you're sending a template letter, not a genuine response to a specific situation. IELTS examiners expect authentic communication, even in Task 1.
Here's the decision tree before you even start writing.
Step 1: Read the prompt and look for the recipient's name and title.
Step 2: Check if you know them personally. The prompt will say "your friend," "your neighbor," or "someone you know." If it doesn't say that, it's formal.
Step 3: Apply the rules.
Example 1: "You've seen an advertisement for a weekend volunteer position at a local community center. Write a letter applying for the position to the center manager. Don't include postal addresses."
No manager's name. You don't know them. It's formal. Write: "Dear Sir or Madam,"
Example 2: "Write to your landlord, Mr. Adrian Cole, to complain about noise from neighboring apartments."
You have a name (Mr. Adrian Cole) and you know him (he's your landlord). It's semi-formal. Write: "Dear Mr. Cole,"
Tip: If the prompt gives you a name, use it. Never skip it and write "Dear Sir or Madam," instead. Ignoring given information signals you didn't read carefully, which counts against your Task Response score.
Your closing has to match your opening. This is a British English rule, and IELTS enforces it.
If you use "Dear Sir or Madam," you must close with "Yours faithfully," If you use "Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. [Name]," you close with "Yours sincerely,"
Mismatching doesn't cause a massive band drop, but it signals inconsistency. At Band 7 or 8, every detail counts.
Good: Dear Sir or Madam,
[Letter body]
Yours faithfully,
James Mitchell
Weak: Dear Sir or Madam,
[Letter body]
Yours sincerely,
James Mitchell (formal opening with semi-formal closing)
If you want a deeper dive into closings and how they pair with your opening, check out our guide to letter closing phrases. The same consistency rules apply there.
Sometimes the prompt gives you a name that could go either way. For example, "Write to the manager, Riley Morgan." You can't tell Riley's gender from the name.
What's your move?
Option 1: Use "Ms." if you think it might be a woman. "Ms." is always safe—it's gender-neutral and formal.
Option 2: Use the full name without a title: "Dear Riley Morgan," It's not traditional, but it's safer than guessing wrong.
Option 3: Stick with "Dear Sir or Madam," if the name is ambiguous. You don't lose marks for playing it safe. It's professional and it works. Guessing a title wrong is worse.
You've got 60 minutes for Task 1. Spend the last 90 seconds checking the salutation. Run through this list:
Check all five boxes and you've locked in the salutation. It's not a huge chunk of your Task 1 score, but it's a chunk you can guarantee.
Pro tip: Write your salutation on its own line at the top of the page before you start drafting the body. Physically separating it makes you less likely to miss an error when you're reviewing. Your eyes will catch it.
If you're working through your entire letter format—not just the salutation—our complete letter format guide walks through layout, spacing, and structure too. An IELTS writing checker tool can flag these issues automatically, but understanding the rules yourself is essential for test day.
The salutation is just the opening move. Once you've nailed that, your letter's opening paragraph—the one where you state your purpose—matters equally. Our letter opening guide shows you how to move smoothly from your salutation into the first sentence without losing formality or clarity.
Want to catch other common formal letter mistakes? The formal letter tone checker guide covers how to maintain the right level of politeness and professionalism throughout your entire letter, not just the greeting. You can also use our free IELTS writing checker to get automated feedback on salutation errors and other issues in real time.
Write your Task 1 letter and get instant feedback. Our IELTS writing correction tool spots salutation errors, grammar mistakes, and band-score issues in seconds.
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